2026 NFL Draft surprises: Four under-the-radar players who could sneak into the first round

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If there's one thing that always seems to be true about the NFL Draft, it's that nobody really knows anything. Well, that's mostly true. This year, we know that Fernando Mendoza will almost certainly be the first overall pick, but after that, there is going to be a lot of chaos.

The unpredictability of the draft is one of the biggest reasons why it's so entertaining to watch every year. When it comes to the first round, the most unpredictable part of the draft is usually in the back half. Some players who were projected to go in the first round end up dropping into a later round (Shedeur Sanders could tell you all about that) and some players who were projected to go in the second round or later end up going in the first round.

With that in mind, we're going to take a look at four players who could end up sneaking their way into the first round this year.

For this exercise, we're going to use Ryan Wilson's big board. Our Lead NFL Draft Insider just released his final NFL Draft big board this week and we're going to take a look at a few players on his board who are being slept on compared to their ranking on the consensus big board from the NFL Mock Draft Database.

To qualify as someone who's being slept on and who could sneak into the first round, a player had to rank 32nd or better (first-round talent) on Wilson's big board, but 33rd or lower on the consensus big board.

Alright, now that we've explained how things will work here, let's check out our four guys who could sneak into the first round.

[Prisco's Better-Than Team for 2026 NFL Draft: The 20 prospects he's higher on than scouts

Pete Prisco

DL Caleb Banks (Florida)

• Wilson's ranking: 15
• Consensus: 38

There's no denying that Banks is one of the most talented defensive linemen in the draft this year, but his stock took a hit in February after he suffered a foot injury at the combine that's expected to sideline him until June. The issue with the injury is that Banks has been dealing with foot issues for more than a year now. The University of Florida star only played in three games last season after having surgery on his left foot, which is the same foot he injured at the combine.

Before getting injured in Indy, the 6-foot-6, 327-pound defensive tackle showed off some serious athleticism at the combine with a 5.04-second 40-yard dash, 32-inch vertical, and 9-6 broad jump.

.@GatorsFB DT Caleb Banks just ran a 5.05u at 6'6" and 327 pounds.

2026 NFL Combine on @nflnetwork
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/aG4IlXrnDt

— NFL (@NFL) February 26, 2026

Former NFL offensive lineman Blake Brockermeyer, who also covers the draft for us here at CBS Sports, is high on Banks, but he's also concerned about the injury situation. "Caleb Banks is, in my opinion, the most talented defensive tackle in the draft, but his foot surgeries are a major concern and likely push him out of the top 32 picks," Brockermeyer wrote earlier this month.

No one is disputing Banks' talent, but teams will almost certainly be worried about his health and that could drop him to the second round. Despite the foot issues, Wilson definitely thinks Banks will sneak into the first round and he has him going 25th overall to the Bears in his latest mock.

CB Colton Hood (Tennessee)

• Wilson's ranking: 22
• Consensus: 35

Hood has been slightly overshadowed this draft season by Jermod McCoy, his teammate at Tennessee. McCoy is definitely going to be a first-round pick this year and there's even a chance that he could be the first cornerback taken off the board, but Hood is more of a mystery. Although the consensus mock draft has him outside the top 32, Wilson has him ranked in his top 25 and it's easy to see why.

McCoy missed the 2025 due to a knee injury and with the Volunteers' corner on the sideline, it was Hood who became the leader of Tennessee's secondary. Hood did a solid job as the Vols' No. 1 corner against elite competition in the SEC. Hood has a nose for the ball and he proved that in 2025 with two defensive touchdowns.

Not only does Wilson view him as a first-round pick, but our CBS Sports draft analyst actually has Hood going 20th overall to the Dallas Cowboys in his latest mock draft.

CB Brandon Cisse (South Carolina)

• Wilson's ranking: 29
• Consensus: 41

It would be a mild surprise if Cisse ends up going in the first-round, but it's certainly possible. The former South Carolina defensive back has all the athletic traits that NFL teams love in a cornerback. His 41-inch vertical jump was the fourth-best of any corner at the combine and his 10-11 broad jump was tied for fourth best. He didn't run the 40 in Indianapolis, but he did have a 4.4 showing at South Carolina's Pro Day, a number that would have put him in a tie as the third-fastest corner at the combine.

One trait that Cisse brings that NFL teams will almost certainly appreciate is his ability to stop the run. According to PFF, Cisse was the 18th best corner at stopping the run last season. One reason Cisse could sneak into the first round is because there are several teams picking at the bottom of the round that will likely be looking to add a corner, including the Chiefs (29th overall) and Dolphins (30th). Both of those teams also have a pick earlier in the first round and if they don't take a corner there, it wouldn't be surprising at all to see them grab one at the end of the opening round.

OT Max Iheanachor (Arizona State)

• Wilson's ranking: 31
• Consensus: 36

Iheanachor is definitely a fringe first-round candidate, but the big reason why he could sneak into the top 32 is because he plays a premium position. When it comes to the draft, NFL teams are always looking to get better at offensive tackle and Iheanachor could help them do that. The 6-foot-6 and 321-pound Iheanachor has a unqiue story: He came to the United States from Nigeria and due to that fact, he didn't play organized football for the first time until 2021 when he enrolled at East Los Angeles College. With just four years of football experience, Iheanachor is talented, but he's also raw, so the any team that drafts him will getting a player with a lot of potential.

Taking Iheanachor in the first round would certainly be a small gamble, but he has a lot of upside, so it's a risk that could certainly pay huge dividends.

Pete Prisco, an Arizona State alum who knows more about Sun Devil football than anyone, has Iheanachor going 23rd overall to the Eagles in his latest mock draft. However, not everyone shares Prisco's optimism about where Iheanachor will be taken. Over at ESPN, one writer has the offensive tackle going 63rd overall, so there's certainly no solid consensus about where he's going to go in the draft.